Portable fire-escape



Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

fl'ero ,4 TORNE'Y UNITED sr'r PIETIRO I. VES COVI, 0F OTTAWA, KANSAS.

ronrABLE FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom it mag concern: V

Be it known that I, PIETRO'P. Vnsoovr, a subject of the King of Italy residing at Ottawa, in the county of Franklin and State of Kansas, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Portable Fire Escapes; and I do declare the following'to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the ac- 'companying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates I to portable fire escapes and one of the 'objects thereof is to provide means capable of being confined within a' relatively small compass adapted to be conveniently and expeditiously set up for use in effecting the escape of a person from a building; the mechanism being such that the device is under the control of a descending person atall times so as to eliminate the liability of accidents.

Theinvention broadly contemplates the provision of means, for normally confining a wound flexible member upon a spindle within a drum or casing in such manner that one end of the flexible member may be anchored to a suitable support within a room-or building so as to permit the flexible member to be gradually unwound as the person descends, the unwinding being resisted by friction induced by the weight of the descending person, the friction being in proportion to the .weightsustained and there being an auxiliary braking devicefor varyingthe friction exerted against the flexible member, the latter being under the direct controlof the descending person.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be referred to hereinafter, it being jundersto od'that changes in form, proportion and minor: details of construction may be resorted to-without departing from the spirit of theinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages .Q I

In the drawings, Figure I is a perspective view' of the device ready for use.

Fig., II is vertical "sectional view through thesame,.and i- Fig, 111 118 'ajdetai-l view. of the manually operated brake mechanism. I a

The casing or braking drum consists of a main casing member 1 and a2 cover-2, the coverbeingadapted to be securedby fastening devices a and 5. The member 1 is proscending person.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented: Sept, 7, 1920, Application filed May 9, 1919. Serial 110,295,842. 7 i i i '2 videdwith..a-'slit 6 through whieha flexible member, such as a steel tape or the like,

may pass and surrounding said ,slitand sewhichis faced with ,a braking material or fabric 8 to cooperate with a pivoted braking member 9 on the pivot 10, extending transcured to the =peripheryof the member 1 is a substantially rectangular-box or tubular member 7, the inner. surface of one end of versely of the box 7, the braking member 9 the flexible member may be determined by an adjustable-set screw 18 which extends through a threaded opening 14: in the end 15 of the box 7:. v

The. lower endv of the braking Within the casing formed by themembers 1 and 2 is a coiled flexible member, preferably steel tape, which is fast on a mandrel or winding drum 16 having outwardlyprojecting trunnions 17 and 18 which project through the alining elongated slots 19 and,

20 in the members- 1 and 2, and within the flange 3, preferably at the lower portion thereof, is a braking wear surface 21 against which the periphery of the coiled flexible member may bear. The outer, end of the flexible member is provided with aloop 22, by means of which the device may be fastened to a suitable anchoring medium in a room or building, preferably a hook if one is available and'if-not, any means suit-;

able for the purpose intended.

The trunnion members which project through the slots 19 and 20 are engaged by a suspension yoke 23 which is provided with sidebars 24 and 25 having eyes or openings 26 and 27 to engage the trunnions and said .yoke is adapted to support a suitable swingor chair which serves as a carrier for the de 28 is a crank having threaded engagement with one of the trunnions. whereby the flexible member or tapemay be wound upon its mandrel to prepare the device for use. I

Assuming all the parts to be properly assembled and assuming that it is desired to use the device, the free end of the flexible member may be attached to a suitable anchor and the tape-carrying IHGGhtDlSIl'l with the swing for supporting the person may be placed on the outside of the building. The person then suspends himself, by means of the sling or other support, and starts to descend. Since the winding drum' and the trunnions are guided in the alining slots in the members land 2, the weight exerted in a downward directionwill cause friction between the periphery of the flexible member and the brake lining on the flange 3so that the unwinding of the tape will be resisted in proportion to the weight of the descending person. The descent can not begin,howevcr, until the device is slightly tipped becal'ise the pawl on the auxiliary braking device will impinge against the tape since its engaging end is out of line with and beyond the slit in flange 3 through which the tape projects.

In order to start descending, it will be necessary to slightly tip the drum so as to release engagement of the pawl end of the braking device from contact with the tape. It is not intended that the friction caused by the weight of the person will be suflicient to entirely prevent the unwinding of the tape but the unwinding control is accomplished by means of the manually operated screw, which controls the amount of friction produced by the binding of the tape between the faces 8 and 12 and since the manually operated" screw (or brake tensioning device) is within easy reach of the opera- 7 tor, it is obvious that the speed at which the person descends at all times be under his control and that the speed may be varied by manipulating the screw in the box 7.

From theforegoing it will be apparent that the device is simple in operation, easily constructed, inexpensive of manufacture and that the, entire mechanism may be normally maintained within a relatively small compass so as to render it conveniently portable but at the same time, ready for instant use.

What I claim and desire to secure by,

Letters-Patent is: e

1. 'A fire escape COIDPTlSlIlg a casing having a braklng face therein and provided with an opening, a flange about the opening, a flexible connection coiled wlthln the easmg, the peripheryof which is adapted to bear against the braking face, a drum upon which the flexible connection is wound, trunnions on the drum projecting through alining, elongated slots in the casing, a braking face rigid with; the flange surrounding the opening, a pivoted braking member adjacent to the braking face on the'flange and having a curved portion engaging the flexible connectio'mand a yoke carried by the trunnions.

2; A fire escape comprismg a casing having a. braking face therein, a flexible con- 1,e52,2so

nection coiled within the casing, the periphery of which adapted to bear against Q the braking face, a drum upon which the flexible connection is wound, trunnions projecting through alining elongated slots in the casing, and a suspension yoke suspended from said trunnions.

3. A fire escape comprising a casing hav ing a braking face therein, a flexible con nection coiled within the casing, the periphery of which is adapted to bear against the braking face, a drum upon which; the flexible connection is wound,trunnionspro jecting through alining elongated slots i n the casing, a suspension yoke suspended from said trunnions, and an auxiliary manually-controlled braking device for exerting pressure against the flexible connection, said device being carried exteriorly of the casing. '4. A fire escape comprising a cylindrical casing having a braking face therein and 7 .provided at opposite sides with elongated slots, a coiled flexible connection within said casing, the periphery of vwhich bears against the braking face inthe casing,a winding drum adapted to have sliding movement within the confines of the slots, a sling l suspended from said winding drum, and

means exteriorly secured to the casing for effecting a braking action against said flexible connectlon. V

5. A portable fire escape comprising a cylindrical casing having a braking face cylindrical casing having a braking face therein and provided at its sides with elongated slots,a winding drum, th e' ends of" which project through the slots, a coiled tape normally within the casing and having one end connected to the windingdrum, the

other end projecting through a slit in the casing, a box surrounding the slit in the casing and having a brakmg'surface, a pivoted brak ng member cooperating with the braking surface an'd'carried'by the box, and

manually controlled means for actuating said braking member, the 'braking member being provided with an upwardly and laterally extending impinging end to engage the flexible member. g

7. ,A portable fire escape 'com'prisingr a cylindrical casing having a braking face therein and provided at its sides with el'on-' gated slots, a Winding drum, the ends of Which project through the slots, a coiled tape normally Within the casing and having one end connected to the Winding drum, the other end projecting through a slit in the casing, a box surrounding the slit in the casing and having a braking surface, a pivoted braking member cooperating With the braking surface and carried by the box, and manually controlled means for actuating said braking member, the braking member being provided with an upwardly and laterally extending impinging end to engage the flexible member, the engaging end of the braking member being out of line With the slots in the casin 8. A portable fire escape comprising a cylindrical casing having a slit in the periphery thereof and having elongated slots in the sides thereof, a flexible tape coiled Within said casingand having a free end projecting through the slitin the periphery thereof, a Winding drum connected to the other end of said flexible tape and having ends projecting through the slots in the casing, a sling carried by the projecting ends of the Winding drum, and manually controlled means exterior of the casing for exerting friction against the tape to control the unwinding of the same Within the casing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' PIE-TKO P. VESCOVI. 

